Our areas of work
 | Housing, informal settlements and land Addressing housing deficits and upgrading informal settlements can significantly improve living conditions, strengthen social inclusion, and expand access to equal opportunities for millions of people. Inclusive, data-informed, and people-centred approaches can guide such transformations, helping to strengthen urban resilience, reduce inequalities, and support sustainable urban development. UNITAC supports cities and communities in using data, spatial analysis, and innovative digital tools to better understand urban dynamics, plan inclusive upgrading, and co-design urban solutions that leave no one behind.
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 | Basic urban services UNITAC supports local authorities in strengthening basic urban service delivery through digital innovation, data-driven solutions, and people-centred approaches. By leveraging digital tools, local data, and strategic partnerships, UNITAC helps cities identify service gaps, improve planning, and allocate resources more effectively — particularly in underserved communities. Through co-development and capacity building, UNITAC enables municipalities to implement inclusive, people-centred and climate-responsive service systems. By enhancing local governance, transparency, and evidence-based decision-making, UNITAC contributes to more equitable, resilient, and sustainable access to basic urban services.
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 | Crisis response and urban recovery UNITAC provides data-driven solutions that enable rapid access to spatial, participatory, and scenario planning information essential for recovery planning and strengthening resilience in crisis-affected areas. By supporting local and national partners in using data and digital technologies, UNITAC helps anticipate risks, coordinate response efforts, and guide sustainable recovery. UNITAC's expertise includes data platforms, spatial mapping, digital participation, and damage-related data and models, enabling stakeholders to manage urban reconstruction, maintain service delivery, and engage communities when traditional systems are disrupted.
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 | Digital participation UNITAC advances people-centered, data-informed decision-making by developing participatory digital tools and methods that make governance more inclusive, transparent, and accountable. These approaches enable local voices, particularly those of marginalised communities, women and youth to shape urban policies, ensuring that policies and innovations respond to lived realities of all residents and serve the public good.
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Our offer
Strategy
We analyse and provide technical expertise on urban digital transformation, data strategies and digital governance frameworks.
Tools
We provide innovative approaches and digital tools on public participation, spatial analysis, mapping, data simulation and visualization.
Capacity
We provide practical training, knowledge exchange and technical advice.
About UNITAC
The United Nations Innovation Technology Accelerator for Cities (UNITAC-Hamburg), is a partnership between the United Nations Human Settlements Programme(UN-Habitat), the United Nations Office for Information and Communication Technology (OICT), and HafenCity University Hamburg(HCU), a German technical university with a focus on the built environment.
Download the PDF about UNITAC's work.
UN-Habitat Executive Director on UNITAC
How we support cities
UNITAC supports cities through the following approaches:
- Digital transformation readiness assessment
- Strategic advice on urban digital transformation
- Development of smart city, data and digital transformation strategies, frameworks and policies
- Urban data visualization, analysis and scenario planning platform
- Citizen science, crowdsourcing and participatory data collection
- Digital public participation toolbox
- Digitally-enhanced service provision
- Training for city leaders on people-centred smart cities
- Technical advice service on digital platforms, tools and approaches
Our vision
We believe in the transformative power of well-managed and inclusive digital transformation to achieve urban sustainability.
Through an urban technology acceleration approach, UNITAC Hamburg aims to improve the quality of life in cities, with a special emphasis on marginalized communities.
Our mission
UNITAC's work is grounded in in-depth research, a thorough understanding of urban challenges, and comprehensive assessments of local community needs.
As part of the People-Centered Smart Cities Flagship program of UN-Habitat, UNITAC is committed to ensuring that urban digital technologies are designed and implemented inclusively, with a people-centered approach.
SDG alignment
UNITAC’s mission aligns closely with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, with a particular focus on Goal 11: making cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable.
